Roasted Veggie Tortellini with Alfredo

 Inspired from Jamie Cooks It Up! and Fashionably Foodie

Roasted Veggies:

2 pints grape tomatoes

1 pound fresh asparagus

5-6 cloves garlic

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1. Cut about 1 inch of the bottoms off each lovely stalk of asparagus. The bottoms are really tough and woody tasting. Chop the rest of the asparagus into 2 inch pieces.

2. Spread the asparagus pieces and the grape tomatoes out evenly over a large cookie sheet. 

3. Peel and roughly chop 5-6 cloves of garlic. Do not  be mistaken. You don't want to peel and chop 5 or 6 whole garlic bulbs, now. Just 5-6 of the little cloves that come in a bulb. 
4. Add the fresh garlic to the tomatoes and asparagus and drizzle olive oil over the top of them. You just need about 2-3 tablespoons.   
5. Grind a bit of salt and pepper over the top as well. 
6. Then, using two large spoons, toss the ingredients together. Make sure all of the veggies have a bit of oil on them. Toss your pan in the oven to roast at 400 degrees, for about 20 minutes, or until the asparagus is fork tender.  

While veggies are cooking, start making the alfredo sauce.

Alfredo Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 Tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. use a whisk and stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add milk and garlic. bring to a boil (barely, just at the edges of the pan,)
3. Stir in parmesan. Whisk until melted. sauce will thicken as it cools.
(If your sauce is too thick, add more milk till desired consistency)


SERVE VEGGIES AND ALFREDO OVER COOKED TORTELLINI.  
Dont be cheap people, go buy the good fresh stuff. 


Enjoy! -Rachel

  

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

Got this cheesecake out of the KRAFT Foods magazine and it was so easy to make and so tasty. I served it at a party I hosted and it was a crowd pleaser. Everyone asked for the recipe.

photo by:

kraft

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake
recipe by KRAFT

1-1/2 cups crushed NILLA Wafers (about 50)

3/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

32 KRAFT Caramels (I used a homemade caramel sauce instead)

3 Tbsp. milk

4 pkg. (8 oz. each)  Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1cup Sour Cream

4 eggs

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided (I used cocoa powder)

Make It

HEAT oven to 325ºF. MIX wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM (50%) 4 to 5 min. or until caramels are melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 2 min. Pour over crust; spread to within 1 inch of edge. Cool. BEAT cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Melt 7 chocolate squares. Stir into cream cheese batter; pour over caramel layer. BAKE 45 to 50 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Sprinkle with remaining nuts just before serving. Melt remaining chocolate square; drizzle over cheesecake.

layered blueberry cheesecake

I found a similar recipe in a KRAFT Food magazine. I made some of my own adjustments and I found this perfect little number. It is mild tasting, for those of you who can only handle so much cheesecake and it has an element of cake. This is the best of both worlds. It was so fast to throw together the night before and it gets better the longer it sits in the fridge.

Layered Blueberry Cheesecake
adapted by KRAFT

3 cups blueberries (fresh is preferred, but frozen works well too)
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) vanilla pudding
2 cups whipped cream (I used the stuff in the can but fresh would be better)
2 cups pound cake (1 inch cubes)

Beat cream cheese and gradually add in milk. Add pudding mix. Mix well. Blend in the whipped cream. Spoon half into a 2 1/2 qt. bowl. Top with cake, berries and remaining cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 4 hours. You can top with drizzled chocolate or whipped cream.